BLACKSBURG, Va. — Cardale Jones lumbered toward two of his best friends, shoulder pads unstrapped and helmet in the right hand attached to his cannon arm. He set it down gently on the Lane Stadium turf, grinning from ear-to-ear as he wrapped his massive arms across the backs of J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott.
The three of them glanced up at the Ohio State fans while they bellowed out the words to their school's alma mater, Carmen Ohio, exhaling after each playing a part in the team's 42-24 dispatching of Virginia Tech Labor Day Night in front of a sellout crowd more than 67,000.
All was well. All were happy. All sang with glee, even though Barrett lost the most sought after quarterback battle in college football recent memory to Jones deferring to the powerful 6-foot-5, 250-pounder in front of a raucous crowd of Hokies.
"There's really not a formula. Whoever at my opinion, at that moment, you can't have too many people's input. All it does is confuse the situation," Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said of his embarrassment of riches at the quarterback position, one that includes a player who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race a year ago and another who led the Buckeyes to a national title. "In that situation, to drive the ball down the field to score, who should be in the game."
On this night, it was Jones who Meyer and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner elected to turn to, because as it were, the massive Clevelander known as 12-Gauge has been leading the battle all along.
"We met twice along the journey and training camp and (Jones) was ahead. J.T. really closed it and almost nudged back," Meyer said. "It was real close. Cardale finished the season as the starter and I kinda started thinking for him to not take the first snap, he had to get beat out and he wasn't beat out."
Jones responded by leading a powerful Buckeye offense right through the Virginia Tech defense, one that stymied Barrett and an inexperienced offensive line almost a year ago to the day in Ohio Stadium. A stout 572 offensive yards — including 360 on the ground — later, the Buckeyes took the first step toward defending their national title.
Initially, it looked as if the Buckeyes would run rampant with Jones at the helm, storming out to a 14-0 lead on the heels of a brilliant touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel and an 80-yard scamper by Elliott.
It looked as if Meyer had made the perfect decision at quarterback — even though Barrett stayed loose on the sideline and engaged in team huddles. He had to — according to Jones himself, neither knew he would earn the first snap until game time.
"Honestly we both went out in the huddle for the first play and both of us were in the huddle with our helmets on, we didn’t know," Jones said. "I was kind of taking a couple steps to the sideline when we called the play and he was like, ‘No, you in.’ I found out when y’all found out."
Barrett stayed ready — tossing here and there on the sideline, staying in tuned with the game through a headset, a position he became accustomed to late last season as he rehabbed a broken ankle.
Jones started hot, going 6-for-9 in the first quarter for 95 yards and the scoring toss to Samuel, who fought through a pass interference call to come down with a remarkable grab in the end zone.
But after Elliott's dash, a holding call on Billy Price negated a touchdown run for Jones that would have put the Buckeyes in a commanding spot early. Adjustments defensively by Hokie defensive boss Bud Foster and Frank Beamer coupled with a pair of Buckeye turnovers completely shifted the tide back in favor of the Hokies. Two throwback screen passes by Michael Brewer to his fullback and tight end later, and Ohio State's early 14-point advantage vaporized into the Blackburg night sky.
A 17-14 halftime deficit stared the Buckeyes in the face, with Lane Stadium threatening to come off its hinges as a result of the nation's No. 1 team being on the ropes.
Then, with the help of an old friend, the Buckeyes and Jones threw a counter punch almost immediately after returning to the field.
Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Braxton MIller reminded everyone what makes him so special, first snagging a 54-yard touchdown pass from Jones and shedding a would be tackler to trot lightly into the end zone.
Then, Miller took a shotgun snap and headed left toward the Hokie sideline, only to spin back across the field and slip by a pair of defenders before he raced 53 yards to pay dirt once again, pushing his team out from by 11 and solidifying his place within the Ohio State offense.
An injury to Brewer all but doomed Virginia Tech's chances of hanging with the Buckeyes and Jones, who at times had to deal with unexpected spotty offensive line play in front of him to finish with 186 yards passing and two touchdowns, as well as 99 yards on the ground and a fourth quarter rushing score that extended the lead to 35-17.
“Is that the right thing to do? At this point, it is. Will that change and adapt throughout the year? I don't know. Remains to be seen.”– Urban Meyer on the ongoing QB battle
"Just overall, we thought he was just slightly ahead and we thought that the nature of how they play defense, having a big quarterback, little bit taller guy in there he might be able to make a few throws with pressure and people around him," Warinner said of Jones. "He edged out and won the job down the stretch."
Jones did what makes him impressive in his own right — running through tackles on option carries when the Hokies elected to take Elliott out of the game, tossing the ball down the field on a 40-yard rope off his back foot with defenders in his face along with much, much more.
It was all there, just like it was in the post-season.
"Not too much in my play, but the offense, we had a rhythm but we hit a couple speed bumps," Jones said. "We had two turnovers which led to touchdowns or in my opinion the score or game could have got out of hand quicker than it did."
It was somewhat eerily similar to how things finished against Oregon in the national title game eight months earlier, when the Buckeyes turned it over four times and still won by three possessions.
Meyer took Jones out after his 10-yard scoring run with 12:26 left in the game, handing the keys of an explosive Buckeye offense to Barrett. The cool Texan, who beat Jones out for the right to backup Miller a year ago, led the Buckeyes 75 yards down the field in just under 2:29, complete with a 40-yard rush down the sideline and then a perfect toss to a wide open Michael Thomas for the touchdown.
At times, it was too easy. And it didn't matter who played quarterback.
"We got two good players and they're going to play," Meyer said. "I almost put J.T. in earlier but it was such a pressure game, I thought with Cardale's size, I thought he could get over the top of that defensive front. They were all over the place again. That was the decision."
It was a decision that led to Jones inciting the crowd as he headed out to take the first snap, and one that pushed the No. 1 team in the country to its first win in its title defense.
It could be different next week, or even the week after. The battle rages on, just like Jones and Barrett's love for each other and their teammate does.
"I don’t think the battle is over," Jones said. "You have two great guys with experience and can lead the team in their own way."
With three starting playmakers returning for the home opener against Hawaii Saturday, and Miller, Elliott, Jones and Barrett all in the fold, it might not matter.
Monday, though, it was Jones who Meyer felt gave the Buckeyes the best chance to be successful. And they were.
"J.T. has to stay warm and if J.T. is in the game, Cardale's gotta stay warm. Is that the right thing to do? At this point, it is," Meyer said. "Will that change and adapt throughout the year? I don't know. Remains to be seen."
